Sinclair WyomingATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Sinclair, Wyoming.
1. Parco/Sinclair Museum
HISTORIC OIL TOWN HERITAGE
The Parco/Sinclair Museum showcases the rich history of this company town built in the 1920s for oil refinery workers. Visitors can explore exhibits detailing the town's transformation from Parco to Sinclair in 1942 and learn about the Spanish Colonial architecture that defines the historic district. The museum provides insight into how the oil industry shaped both the town and Wyoming's economic development.
2. The Parco Inn
HISTORIC SPANISH COLONIAL LODGING
The Parco Inn stands as the most impressive public building in Sinclair, dominating the central plaza and establishing the town's architectural theme. Built in 1924-1925 during the original town construction, this Spanish Colonial structure features unpainted stucco and polychrome clay tile roofs characteristic of southwestern adobe missions. The historic inn represents the community spirit that architects Fisher and Fisher aimed to foster in this uniquely designed company town.
3. Sinclair Historic Plaza
CENTRAL TOWN GATHERING SPACE
Sinclair Historic Plaza forms the heart of this planned company town with a central east-west layout featuring a fountain and park. The plaza is surrounded on three sides by public buildings designed in the distinctive Spanish Colonial style that defines the town's historic character. Visitors can appreciate the intentional urban planning that went into creating this 'oasis in an otherwise drab desert territory,' as the Rocky Mountain News described it in 1925.
4. Fort Fred Steele State Historic Site
FRONTIER MILITARY HISTORY
Fort Fred Steele State Historic Site preserves the remains of a military outpost established in 1868 to protect workers building the transcontinental railroad. Visitors can explore the restored buildings and ruins while learning about frontier life through interpretive displays about military operations, Native American relations, and early settlement. The site offers a glimpse into Wyoming's territorial days when the fort served as a crucial waypoint in the developing American West.
5. Seminoe State Park
SCENIC RESERVOIR RECREATION
Seminoe State Park offers outdoor enthusiasts access to the stunning Seminoe Reservoir nestled among dramatic red canyon walls and high desert landscapes. Visitors can enjoy boating, fishing for trout and walleye, camping at multiple developed sites, and hiking the surrounding trails. The park's remote location provides stargazers with exceptional night sky viewing while daytime visitors appreciate the contrast between blue waters and colorful surrounding terrain.
6. Sinclair Golf Club
DESERT OASIS GOLF COURSE
Sinclair Golf Club provides a welcome green space amid Wyoming's high desert landscape for both locals and travelers. The course challenges golfers with strategically placed hazards while offering stunning views of the surrounding plains and distant mountains. After a round, players can relax at the clubhouse which continues the town's architectural theme.
7. Cascading Colors Jewelry & Art
LOCAL ARTISAN CRAFTS
Cascading Colors Jewelry & Art showcases handcrafted pieces inspired by Wyoming's natural landscapes and Western heritage. The shop features work from local artisans including silver jewelry, pottery, paintings, and unique gift items. Visitors appreciate the opportunity to take home authentic Wyoming-made treasures while supporting the local creative community.
8. Rawlins Downtown Historic District
PRESERVED FRONTIER ARCHITECTURE
The Rawlins Downtown Historic District, just a short drive from Sinclair, preserves numerous late 19th and early 20th century buildings from Wyoming's frontier era. Visitors can stroll the historic streets to appreciate well-preserved examples of Western commercial architecture while exploring local shops, restaurants, and cultural venues. The district offers a self-guided walking tour highlighting significant buildings and sharing stories of the area's development as a railroad and ranching hub.
9. Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum
HISTORIC PENITENTIARY TOURS
The Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum occupies the state's first penitentiary, which operated from 1901 to 1981 and housed over 13,000 inmates during its history. Guided tours take visitors through cell blocks, the death house, and the prison industries building while sharing stories of notorious inmates and the evolution of incarceration practices. The museum's exhibits include artifacts made by prisoners, historical photographs, and displays about daily life behind these formidable walls.
10. Carbon County Museum
REGIONAL HISTORY COLLECTION
The Carbon County Museum preserves and interprets the diverse history of this resource-rich region through engaging exhibits on Native American culture, pioneer settlement, ranching, mining, and the railroad. Visitors can view thousands of artifacts including fossils, archaeological findings, historic photographs, and everyday items used by generations of area residents. The museum particularly excels at telling the stories of ordinary people who shaped this extraordinary landscape over centuries of human habitation.
11. Rochelle Ranch Golf Course
CHAMPIONSHIP DESERT LINKS
Rochelle Ranch Golf Course presents golfers with a challenging 7,200-yard championship layout designed to complement the natural high desert terrain. The course features dramatic elevation changes, strategic bunkering, and native vegetation areas that reward thoughtful shot-making while offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Widely considered one of Wyoming's finest public courses, Rochelle Ranch provides an accessible yet high-quality golfing experience just minutes from Sinclair.
12. Buck Springs Overlook
DRAMATIC CONTINENTAL DIVIDE VIEWS
Buck Springs Overlook provides visitors with breathtaking panoramic views across the Continental Divide from an easily accessible roadside location near Sinclair. Information panels help identify distant landmarks and explain the geological and ecological significance of this high-elevation landscape where waters divide to flow either to the Atlantic or Pacific. The site serves as an ideal spot for photography, wildlife viewing, and gaining appreciation for Wyoming's vast open spaces.
13. Tully's Restaurant
CLASSIC AMERICAN COMFORT FOOD
Tully's Restaurant serves hearty American fare in a friendly, family-owned atmosphere that has made it a local institution for decades. The menu features generous portions of homestyle classics like chicken-fried steak, burgers, and daily pie specials that satisfy hungry travelers and regulars alike. The restaurant's walls display historic photographs of the area, creating a dining experience that connects visitors to the region's heritage while enjoying satisfying meals at reasonable prices.
14. Aspen Mountain Outfitters
GUIDED WILDERNESS ADVENTURES
Aspen Mountain Outfitters provides professionally guided hunting, fishing, and backcountry expeditions into the pristine wilderness areas surrounding Sinclair and Carbon County. Their experienced guides lead guests into remote locations to pursue trophy elk, mule deer, and antelope or to fish productive mountain streams rarely seen by casual visitors. Each customized adventure includes quality equipment, comfortable camps, and local expertise that connects travelers with Wyoming's wild places in ways impossible to experience independently.
15. Medicine Bow National Forest
MOUNTAIN RECREATION PARADISE
Medicine Bow National Forest encompasses over a million acres of diverse mountain terrain with alpine lakes, meadows, and peaks accessible within a scenic drive from Sinclair. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling depending on the season. The forest provides habitat for abundant wildlife including elk, moose, and bighorn sheep while offering visitors peaceful immersion in natural landscapes ranging from sagebrush plains to subalpine forests.